The Muse of a Hopeful Writer
by IrishPanther
Summary: Takeru ponders on an upcoming presentation - he knows what to say, but he now needs the encouragement.


**Hello, guys. IP is back once more to give something that should have been done a long time ago…**

 **Does anyone remember that one-shot I wrote with the similar title that is now deleted because it was just…I don't even want to describe how bad it was. So, I figured it was finally time to scrap, rewrite, and make it even better. I should consider this AU because it delves into more realism in terms of location, but I think what I have will suffice. Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM!**

* * *

 _'_ _The Internet is connecting and only one bar to show for it…peachy.'_

Lying on his bed within his apartment complex, Takeru Takaishi was anxious. Even more anxious than some of his darkest times in the Digital World – okay, maybe a bit far-fetched.

With only a few months to go before he receives his B.A. in Literature from Waseda University, Takeru has been assigned to give a short presentation that he thought would be simple. Yet, as the 22 year old man gazed at the ceiling of his complex, his mind was racing with all sorts of thoughts. The sheer image of giving his thesis on his overall view of creative writing and criticism to a large group of local high school seniors made the young man feel unsettled. Even though a few other seniors in his school had to give presentations of their own, he felt that his matter the most.

 _'_ _This should be easy,'_ Takeru kept on pondering, _'I shouldn't be worried.'_

But he was.

"An up-and-coming writer fails at local presentation, ruins potential student's dreams…sounds too good to be true."

Now sitting up on his bed, the blonde-haired man looked out his window and spotted a few branches blowing from a soft breeze. Looking down into the local street, he also saw a couple people with bicycles either riding them or walking them along the sidewalk. Observing the clock on his laptop, he saw that it read a little after five in the evening.

 _'_ _I need out of here right now…'_

Not wasting any time, Takeru got up from his bed and made his way over to his desk. Pulling the drawer out, he retrieved an old flash drive and his Digivice. Plugging it into his laptop – now spotting two bars that frequently go back to one – it took no time for the drive to boot up, and after a couple clicks, he was able to access the Digital Gate.

"Hmm, glad that Koushiro was able to get this up and running."

Seeing that the gate was accessible, Takeru quickly looked to see if anyone was strolling down below. When he saw that it was clear, he rushed back to his laptop and, holding up his Digivice, said, "Digital Port, open."

Within a single flash, he was on his way.

* * *

It didn't take long for Takeru to find Patamon. After a couple minutes of walking, he spotted the bat-like critter lounging under a shaded tree next to an open field.

 _'_ _There he is, at our normal hangout spot at the right time.'_

"Hey, Patamon."

The digimon blinked his eyes open, and after a bit of looking around, the small being spotted his partner walking towards him.

"Takeru!"

Patamon leaped up from under the tree and flew towards his partner, embracing him as Takeru welcomed him with open arms.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Patamon asked.

"It sure has, buddy."

Takeru carried Patamon over towards the shade, and sitting down on the soft grass and allowing his partner to get comfortable on his lap, the blonde-haired man spoke.

"I need some advice."

"With what?"

"Well, I have this presentation for my class—"

"Takeru…is this all another school thing for you?"

"It is – this is the last big thing I need to do before I graduate."

"…And what happens if you don't do it?"

"I am going to graduate either way, Patamon; I'm here to get some nerves out of me."

Patamon scrunched his face in true disgust. "You, nervous? Tell that to your little self with what he had to deal with."

Takeru sighed and look out into the open field.

"You're right – I shouldn't be this worried. I have dealt with way worse in my lifetime, but this to me matters the most. I need to give these students something to look forward to if they want to continue their education, and especially if they want to go into writing. If I blow it, I could end up failing them."

The bat-like critter looked up at his partner for a couple seconds, letting his words sink in. After a couple seconds, Patamon spoke.

"Takeru, for as long as we have known each other, you have taken each obstacle in your way and have succeeded. I know you have what it takes to give your speech, so you need to stop worrying and let your words do the talking."

"…You're right."

"I always am, huh?"

"Well…"

Takeru was cut short from finishing his sentence by Patamon using his bat wings to tickle his partner.

"Okay, you are," and embracing his partner in a hug, Takeru said, "Thanks again."

"Not a problem," Patamon replied, nudging his face into his partner's chest.

"Hey, when can I visit?"

"In about a month, once graduation is behind me and I have time to lay low for a while."

"Sounds like a plan."

With that, the duo said their goodbyes as Takeru made his way back to his complex. Once in and after noticing the sunset, he took some time to look over his notes before turning in for a good night sleep.

Waking up the next morning, the blonde-haired man prepared himself once more for his big day. Making sure everything was good on his end, and after getting ready, he made his way over to the university on foot.

* * *

His fingers kept twitching, his knees kept shaking – long after he wanted both to cease.

Takeru sat behind the curtain on the left side of the stage within the university's large auditorium. He heard a lot of chattering going on before the dean of his school welcomed the audience – the seniors from high schools around the university, the faculty from the high schools, the faculty from his school, and a good mix of his peers.

Looking to his left, he saw a few of his colleagues in the back room standing and making idle chat, anxiously waiting their turn.

"…And now, to start these presentations off, giving his take on the early process of writing and constructive criticism, please give a warm welcome to Takeru Takaishi."

The sound of applause coming from the audience steered Takeru away from his peers. Standing up from his seat, he made his way out to the podium at the center of the stage.

 _'_ _Well, here goes nothing…'_

After shaking the dean's hand in appreciation and hearing the applause decrease, Takeru looked around at his listeners.

"The average college grad equipped with a bachelor's degree will start out earning a little over six million yen their first year. Does that sound a bit impressive to anyone?"

Low murmuring could be heard all around the hall.

 _'_ _Perfect…'_

"Now, what if I was to give you some advice that could help you make more than six million, six hundred sixty thousand yen?"

The murmurs increased in volume.

"Well, I see a consensus forming already, which is good; however, don't come to me if this ends up backfiring. I knew I should have given out a warning like those infomercials beforehand."

A chuckle escaped Takeru's lips just as the audience did the same.

"So, as my dean pointed out, my presentation is two segments long – one segment dealing with the perfect writing scheme, the other segment dealing with how to receive criticism.

To start out, there are a lot of ways you can go about writing. How I start my writing process is a twofold method – planning and execution. Planning will take up more time than you think – way longer, because, for me, I want to make an impact on my reader that will keep them tuned in. So, I plan on the 'what' and the 'when' – what is going to occur, and when will it occur within the plot. Once that is taken care of, I then execute the plan – based on the content that I have, I simply write. When I begin writing, I don't stop until I am satisfied with what I have on the paper, and even after that point, I still continue on.

Now, the writing process may end up taking more time than the planning, and that is true if you are a perfectionist – someone that wants their writing to be the absolute best every single time. This means that, after the daily dose of writing and taking a short break, you resume to re-read, check any errors that you may have – as small as misplaced punctuation, to scrapping out entire sentences and paragraphs – and then rewrite. Repeat the process a couple times to give you that perfectionist title! Now, it is not a bad thing to want to be perfect, but if you are going to go down this path, remember to keep your audience in mind; they will not care about your perfect writing if they are not interested in the story you put out there.

With that comes the last part of my presentation – dealing with constructive criticism. Yes, your story may not be as popular as you want it to be, but that is the harsh reality that you have to deal with. You may end up receiving reviews that are less than stellar, and you may not break-even with your first novel, and there will be countless nights where you are wondering 'why am I doing this again?' because it will happen. Take it for what it is – someone out there felt that your work was not as good as it can be, and they want you to continue to improve your craft, to then come back and give them something to write home about.

Whatever the reason behind the criticism you receive, remember this – it is the experience that matters the most. Most writers fail to understand this simple notion and want to think it is all about them and their self-fulfillments, when that is not true. At the end of the day, it is the reader's experience that matters – if they enjoy the story, you will know. Trust me, you will know. Thank you."

Takeru bowed as a roar of applause filled the auditorium. Beaming, he stood there receiving the praise he worked hard to gain. After a couple seconds, he made his way off of the stage and into the back room, where he was congratulated by his peers.

About an hour later, when all the presentations were given and the large crowds left the theater, Takeru waltzed up to the top right section of seating – the section where his professors and other peers sat. He knew that one professor in particular would give him praise, and at a single glance, Takeru spotted a piece of paper lying over the seat of a chair. Looking around for any suspects, he quickly snatched the paper and read the note:

 _"_ _Takeru – fantastic! Your traits starting out as a freshman have only grown stronger. Do not forget the reason why you write. I hope success comes easy to you."_

The professor wrote notes to the others presenters, all of which more than likely received praise. Still beaming from the message he received, Takeru placed the paper back and went on about his day.

 _'_ _Do not forget…believe me, I will not.'_

* * *

 **And there you have it, a rewritten one-shot that I think is much better than my original.**

 **So, I have never actually added note to depict something within the story, so hopefully this goes well…**

 **If anyone was confused at the "dean of his school" line and had a thought that "well, wouldn't that be of the university," don't fret. While compiling research on Waseda, I found out that their undergrad programs are structured as "schools," and as such, each school has their own separate dean…kind of how it is over in the United States (at least it was for me -shrugs-). I think I tried too hard here…**

 **Anywho, I hope you enjoyed reading, and until next time, Pantastic is out of here – take care! :)**


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